Flash Floods Hit Chiang Mai - 1 Dead, 7 Injured

[george]

One dead, seven injured after flash floods hit Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI: -- At least one person was dead and seven more seriously injured as flash floods hit this northern province Saturday.

The Ping River continues to rise, warned the local meteorological office, threatening to inundate large areas of the northern capital.

The reported casualties were in Chiang Dao district, which is the hardest hit area so far.

Early Sunday, the Ping River overflowed its banks, inundating the city centre, forcing many residents to flee their homes as the water level continues to rise.

In some areas of the city centre and along the riverbanks, the floorwaters are one metre deep or more. Small cars are unable to pass without stalling.

Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, an area famous for local and foreign tourists to shop, was inundated by pre-dawn floods. Traders raced against the clock to pack their merchandise and other belongings to higher ground.

Riverside residents also suffered from flash floods caused by several days of torrential rain.

Unflooded roads are crowded by vehicles moved from areas that are now submerged.

Governor Suwat Tantipat inspected the flood zone by helicopter and ordered emergency assistance to those affected.

--TNA 2005-08-14

[george]

Related links:

Seven Northern Provinces Warned Of Flash Floods

Chiang Mai soon to get reprieve

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=42112

Tourists Evacuate As Flash Floods Hit Mae Hong Son

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=42095

[SBACM]

Here is a picture from my car as i drove to work:

Chiang Mai Night bazaar Road This morning and waters are rising higher

Edited August 14, 2005 by SBACM

[wimster]

According to a friend who lives in Pai, there's already 3 people killed, 17 injured and 11 missing (of which one foreigner) in Pai alone.

[dyertribe]

That photo was amazing. I was in Chiang Mai in March and I never would have thought that the river could flood to that level.

[DoctorD]

Here is a picture from my car as i drove to work:

Thank you for the picture. Helps to make it real.

Is there anything people in Bangkok can do to help?

[francois]

That photo was amazing.  I was in Chiang Mai in March and I never would have thought that the river could flood to that level.

hi'

been living in Chiang Mai for quite long and as so many of us never seen such a flood

time to show that we care and that we can help also ...

francois

[Upcountry]

How often does this happen?

[mrmillersr]

How far did the flood spread? Did it run down Loh Kroh towards Moonmuang road?Is is still bad on Sunday afternoon?

[george]

Flood havoc in North, Northeast:

3 Drowned, 6 missing in Mae Hong Son

MAE HONG SON: -- Three people have drowned and six others are missing as flash floods continues to wreak havoc in this northern province, said Governor Supote Laowansiri.

Three districts have been submerged since Friday, according to Mr. Supote. In Pai district alone, one woman villager was swept away and drowned by strong currents while 27 others were injured.

The governor sai two other victims, including a 15-year-old boy, were drowned while six persons are missing in Pang Ma Pa district. Initial estimates of the damage in the three districts is estimated at some 120 million baht.

Relief agencies are now assisting flood victims who are stranded in several villages. Royal Thai Army helicopters are monitoring the situation and providing assistance to areas flooded by torrential rains.

Large-sized logs were earlier swept along the Pai River and blocked a roadway when the waters receded, it was reported. Provincial officials were attempting to reopen the road.

Attempts by an army helicopter to drop food supplies for victims in at least one village of Pang Ma Pa district were unsuccessful due to poor visibility and continuing bad weather. The pilot circled in the area for about 30 minutes before flying back to base.

Meanwhile, metrorologists in the northeastern province of Ubon Ratchathani reported that heavy rains were expected today in the region, especially in Mukdahan and Roi Et provinces.

--TNA 2005-08-14

[cutter007]

This happens because the Thai government is filled with incompetent lazy rich kids.

And public services and warnings are not included in the standard, Thai Rak Thai package.

I was in the mountains outside of Changmai on Saturday, and the water was already flooding out all of the villages.

The flow rate was obvious for someone that has lived in the mountains before that an increase in water of that level at that high of an altitude will surely overflow the dam.

Meaning the people could have been preparing for this flood as early as 10am Saturaday morning, almost 12 hours before it started to overflow the river in Chang Mai.

It was not a flash flood, it was a normal flood, that people choose to ignore the warning signs, can anyone say Tsunami.

So eating dinner by the river in Changmai that night, I watched the river rise over 1 meter in 2 - 3 hours.

And I told the manager that I had been in the mountains today, and told him my assessment and that his restaurant would be flooded tomorrow, and that he needed to move valuable stuff to higher ground.

He laughed at me, and said it never gets that high, well som nam na, this morning I drove by and the restaurant was underwater.

The damage in town is sad, but a lot of it could have been avoided.

Edited August 14, 2005 by cutter007

[meadish_sweetball]

What is the most frequently updated news source (Thai or English language) available on the Internet to inform oneself of the situation?

[silentsoundcentre]

Have some friend who moved after the tsunami from Phuket to Chang Mai, of fear for more water to come!

###### bad luck!

[Happy Jack]

I've posted a bunch of photos on my site www.thaichange.com/cm_flood.htm for anyone who wants to look. Since I took these early this arvo the water level has come up further - and it's now raining heavily which means the usual back-up with the drains will compound the problem. As you'll see from the photos some local landmarks have been hit hard.

[Martin]

SBACM's picture is superb.

That water must be 15 to 18 inches deep (20 to 45 cm, or thereabouts, in new money), but the man is still cycling through it.

I particularly like the man in the yellow jacket. Why should a bit of water get in the way of something important like conversation?. Just hop up on the railings and perch there happily.

This is a great country because most folks have their priorities right!!

[piet pompies]

Meadish,

This is the best site! Thank you all for the photographs, puts our mind at ease at least how bad it is and how to deal with the damage.( for us who are not there)

[jaloochapurr]

O my God

What pictures of the city. I never would thought that things would be so extreme.

Is the flooding outside of town just as bad?

I have family near the trekker house and wonder if anyone has heard of anything in that area.

[ThaiPauly]

I,ve just driven miles round CM, the moat, Hang Dong Road, hardly any signs of floodwater now, but the road leading to Lamphun from Central Airport Plaza is closed, guess this must be down to the river bursting its banks.

I can't beleive I was in the Night Bazzar area at 2am this morning , no sign of much water, then to see those pictures , wow amazing.

Pity someone had to die and others injured. I hope thats an end to it.

[Sangsom]

We drove today - afternoon - road to Lampang/Lampung from Airport Plaza and there was a queue that lasted for a few miles - we did not have to go far that much - for at least an hour. The last part of the bit we drove there was only one row of cars that could pass. All went very slowly and I had then no idea it was elsewhere so bad. But I saw there many streets and houses beside the road flooded. Really terrible for those who live in the affected areas.

Edited August 14, 2005 by Sangsom

[cmsally]

Flooded areas include the usual Nong Hoi and Saraphee. This flood is worse than any other because it has now crept up to Sanpakoy, Warorot market, Tesabahn, Night Bazaar. Some areas of Chang Moi now flooded. It has advanced to Wat Loykroh on Loykroh Rd.

Really bad along Charoenprathet and areas off Om Muang Rd., Pa Daet etc

Watch out tonight when they are releasing water from Mae Ngad Dam; about 2am is the crucial time.

For Thai speakers tune into 92.5 FM on the radio, keeps you up to date by the minute.

[jaloochapurr]

Here what the Bangkok Post reports to the world.

Meanwhile, a military development unit in charge of a scheme to tackle flooding in the south and west of Chiang Mai municipal area, said the municipal area was likely to be spared from floods.

Huay Kaew road and the area south of Chiang Mai airport were usually inundated by run-off from Doi Suthep in heavy downpours, said Air Vice Marshal Theerachart Palakul, head of the unit.

However, he said the areas would be kept free of floods this year now that the unit and the Irrigation Department, with a fund of 258 million baht, had built a 10km drainage network and installed six water pumps which channel water into the Ping and subsidiary rivers.

From what I read here On Tv it is certainly a load of bull what the Post reports.

Not uncommon though

[MaiChai]

What I don't understand is with the large amount of canals Thais build, why they still get flooding? I think the main problem is controlling the opening of dams and flood gates across the country and co-ordinating all this. Anyone any knowledge of this, as I would be interested to know more why it doesn't work

[george]

Update:

Two bodies in Mae Hong Son from floods

Two foreigners injured

After flash floods in several province in northern. A 46-year-old woman died at Pai hospital in Mae Hong Son after she was rescued from the flood, which injured 27 people including two foreigners. Officials had no information on their nationality but the region is popular with western backpackers. Another body was found in Pang Ma Pha district, where two people suffered minor injuries and 11 people were missing.

About 50,000 people suffered damage in the flash floods which hit 28 districts in northern. More than 500,000 people suffered damage and at least eight people were killed by flash floods last year.

--The Nation 2005-08-14

[Johpa]

How often does this happen?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The last flood of this magnitude that I can recall was, I think, in 1987. And again, echoing another poster's comment, at that time it was not a surprise flash flood because the flood waters were easily traced up the Ping, and slowly moved down towards the city. I was commuting from the City up to Mae Jo at that time and in the morning the Ping was high in the city but not yet over its banks. Yet by the time I got to the Mae Jo campus the fields up in San Sai were flooded. After teaching I returned to a flooded Chiang Mai with the result being my motorbike, after braving 1/2 meter high water along Faahaam Rd to the applause of spectators and shouts of farang baa, needing to have the engine opened and dried out at a shopful of other motobikes in the same sad predictament. The heavy rains had actually occured the day before and it took a good 24 hours for the water in the hills to reach the Ping and flow into the city. These are no flash floods. These are floods where there is plenty of warning to move people and goods to higer ground. But hey, we can really expect those karatchakaans to be working weekends now.

Chaiyo!

[ovenman]

The heavy rains had actually occured the day before and it took a good 24 hours for the water in the hills to reach the Ping and flow into the city.

Same-same this time. There must be an awful lot of water coming from upstream as of Saturday because it really hasn't been raining all that much in Chiang Mai city proper. It did rain overnight in town on Friday but it was certainly not a downpour.

[Maejo Man]

Even Tuk-Tuk passengers have to help out in Loi Kroh Road Chiangmai

[Jockstar]

Just got back from Chiangmai. On the way to the airport. Our side of the road was ok. But the other side was ######ed. People were lifting motorbikes over the barrier so that they could drive on the side of the road that we were on. Literally cars, trucks , bikes etc were queued back for miles. They couldnt go anywhere.ie no off roads or uturns. The cops were wading through the water and over knee height. It would have taken hours to get rid of the traffic. There was even a few people in a boat at one point. Mad i tell ya.

[ChiangMaiMike]

Think maybe the waters have crested. It's now 11p.m. Sunday night and looks the same as 6:30 p.m.... but it rose perhaps another 2 feet since that picture was taken in the morning from accounts I've heard. i.e. Water in sweethearts room was knee deep at 8-9 this morning and chest high in late afternoon. Lot's of people have lost a lot of posessions.

Grandmother of friend in Chiang Dao (up river about 65 km.) said it was the worst she'd seen in 50 years... that's the only anecdotal evidence I have heard of how bad this is.

later,

m

[jomama]

Check the Chiang Mai forum for more first-hand accounts. Perhaps the mods want to merge the two threads (is that possible?)

[george]

We will wait with merging the threads as they are currently hard linked form other websites and media websites.